Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Philatelic Photograph: Westminster Bridge and Elizabeth Tower - London, England

Interesting Places I've Photographed
Westminster Bridge and the Elizabeth Tower
London, England
Topic: Philatelic Photographs

GPS: N51° 30.027; W000° 07.204

Quick Description: 

Classic view of Westminster Bridge and the Elizabeth Tower from across the Thames River.

Long Description:

The original Westminster Bridge was designed by the Swiss architect Charles Labelye and was built between 1739-1750 and widened between 1760-1763. By 1862, it was deemed unusable and replaced by the current structure designed by Thomas Page. The bridge opened on May 24th 1862.

The bridge is 252 meters (826.8 ft) long and 26 meters (88 ft) wide. It consists of seven wrought iron arches with Gothic detailing by Charles Barry, who was also the architect for of the Palace of Westminster.

The clock tower near the Westminster Bridge is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It was built in 1859 in a Gothic Revival style designed by Augustus Pugin. The tower is 96.3 meters (316 ft) high and is commonly called Big Ben; but Big Ben properly refers to the large bell of the clock tower, not the tower itself. The clock tower is perhaps the most famous symbol of the City of London. In 2012, it was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and is now known as the Elizabeth Tower.

The stamp is part of a five stamp set issued by Great Britain (U.K.) September 20, 2002 depicting bridges over the Thames River.

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